Google Maps for iPhone OS 2.2 Feature Flow

So with my cable modem dead all of yesterday, what's any self respecting TiPb editor to do? Document iPhone features, of course! Now, while Google supplies the APIs and data, Apple creates the front end client (which "blows Google away" according to what Steve Jobs said while on stage with Bill Gates back in 2007). What's new in the iPhone OS 2.2 version of that front end? Click the graphic above for a large size look at how Google Maps flows together. Couldn't squeeze everything in, of course (looking at you, position identifying pin drag!), but most of the important stuff should be in there, including:

Get info on searched location and share that location via email

Get directions to or from a location

Cycle between driving, transit, and walking directions

Get different transit times

Get street-view environment of a location and maneuver around (the Apple Store was initially blocked by a truck, so I had to tap the arrow to "walk" a bit, and then swing around to look behind it).

Tap the radar to back out of street view

Double tap for on-screen controls

Report inappropriate content to Google, which sends you a page on Safari

Anything big missing from the graphic? Let us know and we'll (try to!) add it in.

Anything big missing from the Google Maps app? Tell us in the comments and who knows, maybe we'll see it in iPhone OS 2.3!

Reader comments

Google Maps for iPhone OS 2.2 Feature Flow

I don't know if it's possible (or probable), but I'd like to see Google add speed limits. I know they're always changing so that's an issue. But some of the long stretches of road around me don't have speed limit signs for as much as eight to ten miles... and if I'm the only car on the road I don't have a clue.

Transit directions are amazing. I just went to NYC to the first time and using google on my iPhone I was able to go to the Brooklyn bride, empire stte building, times square, ect.. It had perfect directions (get on the d train towards coney island and get off at the 72nd st station). Amazingly useful and helpful!

Transit not available in UK yet. Would be great for London if we had it. It's available on the desktop Google Maps though. One main gripe i have is in the UK, Googlemaps is shown in Km. We use miles here. Seeing distances in km is not instantly instinctive to me.

Lucky for you only your modem wasn't working. My whole computer died a couple days ago, so I only have my iPhone to use until the parts to a new build come in from Newegg.
Anyway, I can't get the whole image above to appear on my iPhone. I'm using the iPhone-specific version of the site, and after enlarging, it appears to cut off about a third of the image.

Transit's certainly available in my part of the UK but it doesn't always select the most obvious bus route. I'm not sure if this is a Google bug or incomplete info from bus companies but it would be more useful if it gave more direct bus routes

It would be awesome if, where google transit is supported, you could simply tap on bus stops to get the bus number that passes by it and its times, instead of having to first enter a route you want to take and have it try to tell you what stuff you should take. For example, I told it to tell me how to get from school to my house using public transit and it gave me a very confusing route, instead of just going directly home (And yes I do know that the bus does go directly home).

I was reading your blog and trying to learn more about using the Google Maps program. I have a question. Is there any way I can see your pictures at the top of this blog in a larger screen? My husband and I differ on the user friendliness of the Google Maps program for our iPhones. I enjoyed your article.

If got a question: I have an iPod Touch with OS 2.2, but Street view isn't available. I've tried to "visit" the Apple Store in Ney York as it is in this exampl above, but i'm not able to see street view. So is it possible that street view is not available on the iPod Touch, only on the iPhone 3G with GPS?

Why is there no option to have miles instead of km on the updated route planner? This is rediculous! I have to calculate milage for work and now can't or have to convert. Major pita!! Please can you correct this serious failing on the upgrade.

I'm now really frustrated that after several months of consistent feedback from British users Apple have still not taken on board that we use miles, not kilometres on British roads. It is in fact illegal to place signs in metric on the roads; if there are a few people who want distances in km why not simply give a setting option to display in either units? We may be members of the European Union, but we are by no means full converts to the system of simplified children's units used on the continent.